Food & Diet

Hermit crabs are omnivores. They will eat both plants and animals. Crabs will eat fruits, vegetables, leaves, insects, and even feces. They are not very picky eaters and are willing to try a variety of different foods.

Food should always be available for your pet hermit crabs to eat. Moist and fresh foods should be replaced daily. Spoiled or rotting food can make your pets’ home smelly and unpleasant. They do not eat a lot of food so serving correct portions of food will help reduce waste and potentially rotting and smelly foods.

Hermit crabs can sometimes go many days without eating. They also do not eat while molting which can last up to a month. Food should still be made available even when a crab is not eating.

The best time to feed your crabs is in the evening since they are nocturnal. With multiple hermit crabs you should have more than one food dish available to make sure everyone gets all the food they need. Below are foods that will give your pets a healthy diet and proper nutrition.

Pet Crab Food
Commercial pet crab food should be the staple of their diet. There are a variety of different moist and dry crab foods available. These vitamin enriched foods will help ensure your pets stay happy and healthy.

Treats
Since hermit crabs are not picky, many different foods can be treats. There are commercially available pet treats or you can treat your pets with other foods.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, raisins, oatmeal, unsalted crackers, unsalted popcorn, and many other foods can be given as treats. Crickets or mealworms can also be given as treats. Both live and dead insects are available at most pet stores.

Water
Water should be available for your hermit crabs at all times. The water should be chlorine free. A large water dish that is easy to climb into and out of works best for supplying water.

Salt Water
Salt water should be offered regularly to hermit crabs. You can maintain a salt water dish or you can offer salt water to your pets at least once a week. There are commercially available sea salts to easily create salt water for your pets. You may have to adjust the amount of salt you add to the water until you find the correct amount your crabs like.